Sarah Sammut discusses catering to a growing millennial workforce, winning an Australian HR Award and the role that gymnastics plays in her HR career.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
To take the learning from the moment and swiftly move forward.
What challenges do you think HR will face in the next 10 years?
The main challenge as I see it is ensuring that workforce planning cultivates the entrepreneurial spirit of a growing millennial workforce. It is important that employees are given the opportunity to take on a range of role responsibilities across interdepartmental and intercompany functions suited to their interests whilst still meeting the objectives of the business.
What is the most interesting aspect of your role?
Working in the Fitness Industry and seeing the positive impact our fitness product and our people make on the lives of our members every day. Being provided with the opportunity to learn new things about body movement, wellbeing, health and exercise and experience a wide range of new fitness offerings such as high intensity interval workouts, trx suspension training and most recently, gymnastics.
What do you feel is your biggest professional achievement to date?
Receiving an employer of choice award in 2014 and the Australian HR Award for learning and development strategy is testimonial for how far we have come in transforming our business. We have really changed what it means to work for, and work out, at Fitness First. Our employee engagement score has improved by 17% year on year and member satisfaction is showing the same positive trend.
How would you sum up HR professionals in two words?
Personable, commercial
Complete this sentence: If I weren’t in HR, I’d be…
Event planning. I enjoy high pace environments, project work, creativity, success/celebration of others, creating a great atmosphere.
Sarah Sammut is the head of HR at Fitness First Australia.
To take the learning from the moment and swiftly move forward.
What challenges do you think HR will face in the next 10 years?
The main challenge as I see it is ensuring that workforce planning cultivates the entrepreneurial spirit of a growing millennial workforce. It is important that employees are given the opportunity to take on a range of role responsibilities across interdepartmental and intercompany functions suited to their interests whilst still meeting the objectives of the business.
What is the most interesting aspect of your role?
Working in the Fitness Industry and seeing the positive impact our fitness product and our people make on the lives of our members every day. Being provided with the opportunity to learn new things about body movement, wellbeing, health and exercise and experience a wide range of new fitness offerings such as high intensity interval workouts, trx suspension training and most recently, gymnastics.
What do you feel is your biggest professional achievement to date?
Receiving an employer of choice award in 2014 and the Australian HR Award for learning and development strategy is testimonial for how far we have come in transforming our business. We have really changed what it means to work for, and work out, at Fitness First. Our employee engagement score has improved by 17% year on year and member satisfaction is showing the same positive trend.
How would you sum up HR professionals in two words?
Personable, commercial
Complete this sentence: If I weren’t in HR, I’d be…
Event planning. I enjoy high pace environments, project work, creativity, success/celebration of others, creating a great atmosphere.
Sarah Sammut is the head of HR at Fitness First Australia.
